Collapsible brush



May 21, 1957 RA 2,792,582

COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Filed April 29, 1955 2,792,582 COLLAPSlBLE BRUSH Marion F. Gray, Kansas City, Kans. Application April 29, 1955, Serial No. 504,730 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-203) This invention relates to brushes and refers more particularly to a brush with collapsible or deflectable bristles for reducing the space occupied by the brush, the resultant brush being eminently portable, a characteristic particularly suitable to hairbrushes for personal use.

An object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles, the whole brush being of highly simple construction and therefore cheap to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles with positively acting means to raise and lower the bristles.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a brush with collapsible bristles and positively acting means to raise and lower said bristles, said means being of simple construction, extremely rugged and durable and protected from excessive wear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles, said britles mountable in rotatable and replaceable bristle elements, said element replaceable on account of wear or to vary the size or type of the bristles or the elements themselves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles which is adapted able to be covered to protect the bristles in transit yet occupy a minimum of space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles, said brush especially adapted for use as a personal hair brush, portable, easily cleaned, compact and of an attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush with collapsible bristles, said brush having separate sets of bristles in individual bristle-holding elements, said elements mounted in parallel rows, easily cleaned and the entire bases of the bristle-holding elements being available for cleaning.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a brush having collapsible bristles, said brush having a single, positively acting means to raise and lower the bristle-holding elements, said actuating means only partly exposed and operating to convert longitudinal motion thereof to vertical motion of the bristle-holding elements.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, there is shown an embodiment of the invention, and in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicate like parts.

Fig. l is a bottom perspective view of the assembled, collapsible bristle brush with the cover positioned thereon, the bristles being in their lower 'or retracted position. Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of the assembled collapsible bristle brush with the cover thereon, the bristles and their holding elements being in the lowered or retracted position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the assembled, collapsible bristle brush with parts cut away to show the position of the bristles and their holding elements in the lower or retracted condition.

nit States Patent relatively horizontal position.

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Fig. 4 is a side-sectional view of the assembled, collapsible brush with the bristles and their holding elements in the vertical or raised position ready for use.

Fig. 5 is a view taken along the lines 5-5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view of 'one of the bristle-holding elements with bristles mounted in one end thereof, said element removed from the dished-out plate employed to mount the elements.

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the bristle element actuating slide removed from its trough or groove in the dish-out mounting plate to show the construction of the means for raising and lowering the bristle-holding elements around their pivotal mountings in the dished-out plate.

Referring to the drawings, thickened base plate 10 has dished-out portion 11 in the upper side thereof, said dished-out portion 11 having substantially vertical side walls 12. The dished-out portion 11 extends over the entire upper side of the base plate 10 and is essentially uniform in depth throughout its whole area with the exception soon to be explained. The thickened base plate 10 is preferably rectangular as shown in the drawings, but may be any desired shape.

Trough or groove 13 is formed in the bottom of said dished-out portion 11, preferably centrally of said portion and preferably extending at least the entire length of the dished-out portion 11. The walls 14 of said trough 13 are preferably recessed below the face of the nondished side of base plate 10 whereby to give a greater depth to said trough. Opening 15 is preferably formed in one end wall of the base plate 16 opposite or continuous with said groove or trough 13. Opening 15' is preferably not completely cut through the side wall as may be seen in Fig. 4. The desired material such as cast metal or molded plastic A plurality of bristle-holding elements 16 are pivotally mounted transversely of the dished-out portion 11 of said base plate 10 on the inner faces of the side walls thereof;

If the brush is formed with the base plate 10 rectangular in shape, the bristle-holding elements are preferably mounted on the longitudinal walls as may be seen inthe drawings. Elements 16 e are readily movable around their pivotal mountings which, in this instance, cornprise removable pins 17 extending through the vertical side walls 12. A plurality of bristles 18 are mounted in one end of each of said bristle-holding elements .6 as may be-seen in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The elements 16 are preferably of the same width as the width of the dishedout portion 11 whereby to snugly fit therein. The nonbristle-holding ends of the elements 16 preferably conform essentially in shape to the shape of the dished-out portion 11 and the height of the elements 16 in their vertical position below essentially equal to below said mounting whereby when the elements '16 are in their vertical position, plate 10 as well as the pins 17. of the elements slightly greater than the height of the portions below said Preferably the height mounting whereby to ofier a good base for the bristles and permit ample cleaning space of the bristle-holding As may be seen elements around the base of the bristles. from Fig. 3, it is necessary to space the mountings of the bristle-holding elements 16 along the side walls 12 so that the last element and its bristles 18 will have sufficient space to fit into the dished-out portion 11. Also the opposite number of said last element must have suflicient spacing from its end wall to permit its base to rotate to a base plate Ill-may be formed of anythe pivotal mounting 17 is preferably the depth of the dished-out portionthey' are supported bythe base- 16 above the pivotal mounting is at least The distance between each L of the pins 17 is greater than the height of the holding elements 16 above their pivotal mountings. The bristleholding elements .are preferably of the same material as they thickened base plate but may be any suitable material, either metal, plasticor wood, as may be the base plate. The bristles 18 may be of any desired material, either natural or synthetic and, as may be seen in Figs. 5 and 6, are set into the elements 16 in clusters, whereby the bases of the clusters are easily accessible for washing or cleaning. The opening 17a in the side walls and 17b in the bristle-holding elements 16 are of such length as to accommodate the pins 17.

Means are positioned Within the dished plate for moving the bristle-holding elements 16 from a substantially vertical to a substantially horizontal position and return. This means comprises actuating slide 19 which is mountable in trough 13 for longitudinal movement thereof. Slide 19 is preferably of essentially the same or slightly less Width than the Width of the trough 13. Slide 19 has recessed portions 20 in the upper surface thereof. Slide 19 is preferably of at least slightly greater height than the depth of trough 13. The recessed portions 20 preferably extend below the top of the trough 13 when the slide is positioned therein. The slide 19 is preferably of slightly greater length than the inside length of the dished-out portion 11 whereby one end extends through the opening in the end wall of the base plate 10. This end has handle 21 thereon on the same side as the recessed portions 20. The opposite end of the slide preferably has longitudinal extension 22 of such length as to substantially abut the opposite end wall when the bristle-holding elements have been moved to their vertical position, as in Fig. 4. The actuating slide 19 is preferably movable toward the unbroken end wall 12 to raise the bristle-holding elements 16 to vertical position and movable away from said unbroken Wall to lower the bristle-holding elements from their vertical to the horizontal position. Referring to the recessed portions 20, the wall therein operable to contact the bristle-holding elements to raise them to vertical position is preferably vertical. This wall is numbered 23. The opposite wall of the recessed portions which contacts the bristle-holding elements to lower them to their substantially horizontal position preferably has a lower portion 24a substantially vertical at its lower extremity and then sloping from the vertical, as at 24b in the rest of its height. The wall of the longitudinal actuating slide recessed portion 20 to raise the elements is preferably next the wall 12 having the opening 15 therein and the handle 21 end of the actuating slide 19 and the other wall on the opposite side.

A tab 25 depends preferably centrally in line with the trough 13 from the base ends of said bristle-holding elements 16. Tabs 25 are preferably of essentially the same or slightly lesser Width than the trough 13. Tabs 25 are engageable by the actuating slide 19 recessed portions 20. The tabs 25 are preferably of such a length in the vertical position that their depth below the top of the trough is essentially equal to the depth of the recessed portions 20 in the actuating slide 19 therebelow. The face of the tabs 25 to be engaged by wall 23 of theirecessed portions 20 in the actuating slide 19 (to raise the elements 16 to their vertical position) preferably is formed so that the bottom portion 26a thereof is sloped from the vertical in vertical position and the upper portion 26b thereof engaged by the upper portion of the wall 23 in vertical position is preferably substantially vertical or continuous with the face of the elements 16. The face 27 of the tabs 25 which is engaged by the actuating slide recessed portion wall 24a and b (whereby to lower the holding elements 16 to horizontal position) is preferably vertical in vertical position or essentially continuous with the face of the holding element 16.

Handle portion 28 is preferably formed continuous with the nondished face of the thickened base plate 10. The trough 13 preferably extends into the handle plate 28 as plate 10.

may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3 to receive the handle portion 21 of the actuating slide 19. The excess length of the trough 13 to permit longitudinal motion of the actuating slide 19 therein may be seen in these views. If the trough 13 has. recessed walls below the nondished face of the base plate 10, this recessingwill, of course, exist in the handle plate 28. The width of the handle 28 is preferably the same as that of the base plate 14) but is not necessarily so.

Cover 29 is preferably of the same material as base plate 11 and comprises another plate of essentially the same but slightly greater area which is cut out or dished out to form a hollow portion therein to enclose the upper open face of the dished-out portion 11 in the base It is evident that the cover adds preferably only the thickness of its top face to the total thickness of the brush assembly and only the width of its two edges to the total width of the brush assembly. The length of the cover lower edges on the sides 12 which receive the pins 17 is preferably such that the pins are at least partially enclosed by said lower edge when the cover is thereon.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A collapsible, bristle brush comprising a dished-out plate having substantially vertical side walls, a plurality of bristle-holding elements pivotally mounted transversely of said dished-out plate on the side walls thereof, said elements movable around their pivotal mountings from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, a plurality of bristles carried by one end of each of said elements, and means positioned within said dished plate for moving said elements from said vertical to said horizontal position and return, said last means comprising a recessed trough in said dished-out plate in the base thereof, an actuating slide mountable in said trough for longitudinal movement thereof, said slide having recessed portions in the upper surface thereof, and tabs depending from the nonbristle-holding ends of said elements, said tabs engageable by the recessed portions of said slide, the recessed portions in said actuating slide extending below the top of said trough and the depth of the tabs depending from the bases of the bristle-holding elements in their vertical position being essentially equal to the depth of the recessed portions of the slide therebelow.

2. A collapsible, bristle brush comprising a dished-out plate having substantially vertical side walls, a plurality of bristle-holding elements pivotally mounted transversely of said dished-out plate on the side walls thereof, said elements movable around their pivotal mountings from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, a plurality of bristles carried by one end of each of said elements, and means positioned within said dished plate for moving said elements from said vertical to said horizontal position and return, said last means comprising a recessed trough in said dished-out plate in the base thereof, an actuating slide mountable in said trough for longitudinal movement thereof, said slide having recessed portions in the upper surface thereof, and

tabs depending from the nonbristle-holding ends of said elements, said tabs engageable by the recessed portions of said slide, the portion of the actuating slide recessed portions contacting the tabs on said elements to raise them being essentially vertical, the portion of the actuating slide recessed portions contacting said tabs to lower said elements being essentially vertical at the bottom thereof and then angled away from the vertical, the face of the tab engaged by the actuating slide to raise the element having a lower portion angled from the face of the element and an upper portion continuous with the face of said element, and the face of the tab engaged by the actul0 ating slide to lower the element being essentially continuous with the face of the element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTb Apr. 1, 1902 Apr. 24, 1906 Jan. 12, 1909 July 4, 1916 

